Chinese journalist released but restrictions remain

July 11, 2013 1:25 PM ET

Hong Kong, July 11, 2013--The
Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Chinese filmmaker and
photographer Du Bin after 37 days of detention but calls on authorities to
refrain from pursuing formal charges against him.

Du told
the New York Times that after his arrest on
June 1 in Beijing, officials had accused him of "picking quarrels and making
trouble," but never filed charges. He said that now, despite his release, authorities
could try him on those charges, which carry a jail term of up to five years. He
told the BBC that he has been forbidden from leaving Beijing and must be
available for further questioning by authorities.

A week before his arrest, Du had
published The Tiananmen Massacre,a book on the 1989 government crackdown against protesters. He told
the BBC
that officials had questioned him about the book as well as a recent
documentary he made on a labor camp in China's Liaoning province,
which exposed torture
of mostly Falun Gong practitioners.

"While we're relieved that Du Bin
has been released from custody, we remain concerned about his uncertain fate
and the restrictions placed against him," said Bob Dietz, CPJ Asia program
coordinator in New York.

According to data from WeiboTrends, government
censors have deleted mentions of Du's name on the popular Chinese microblogging
website Sina Weibo, removing posts from users who simply said his name, "Du
Bin!," upon hearing of his release.

Du told the Times that police did not warn him against talking
to the media, an admonishment often given to political dissidents upon their
release. "This," said Du, "is progress for China."

For more data and analysis on China, visit CPJ's
March 2013 special report, Challenged in China.

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